Federal prosecutors in Texas charged a former senior U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer and his accomplice for their roles carrying out an alleged scheme to “receive illegal gratuities in exchange for manipulating and expediting immigration applications,” The Department of Justice announced in a press release.

Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu, a Nigerian national who worked as a Senior Immigration Services Officer in Dallas until 2026, as well as his accomplice and fellow Nigerian national, Adeniyi Akeem Somoye, were arrested on September 2 following an investigation that had resulted from a tip received by USCIS in May of last year. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas announced that both men face charges of conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities by a public official. If convicted, the charges carry up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

The scheme allegedly ran for multiple years, spanning from December of 2019 all the way through March of this year. Prosecutors say Ganiyu used his position as a senior USCIS officer to bypass interviews, background checks, and other proper procedures while wrongly approving forms and applications in exchange for money. Ganiyu allegedly went as far as rerouting cases from immigration offices in other states to approve them himself despite many applicants not being eligible under federal law.

Investigators have linked payments totaling roughly $960,000 to the approvals. Ganiyu received over $650,000 through online cash payment apps as well as an additional $287,830 in cash deposits. Somoye in his role handled approximately $1.7 million in transfers and deposited nearly half a million in cash while taking a cut.

Outside of the alleged monetary gains, Somoye personally benefited from Ganiyu's position. Somoye had his naturalization application moved up by Ganiyu as well as the residency for his wife and child approved.

The pair communicated extensively via WhatsApp with applicants, many from African countries. Prosecutors are said to have overwhelming evidence against the two men, including "thousands of messages" and "hundreds of calls."

The initial court appearances of the two men were held before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on September 2. Ganiyu's attorney has denied wrongdoing and said they will fight the allegations in court. Ganiyu has since been released with GPS monitoring.

This announcement is the most recent in a series of investigations that have resulted in charges being brought against current and former employees of the U.S. immigration system as scrutiny of immigration-related agencies and services has intensified under President Donald Trump. Since Trump took office in January of 2025, federal prosecutors have uncovered several cases of corruption and levied harsh penalties for alleged waste, fraud, and abuse.

Earlier this year, Amara Dukuly, a former USCIS immigration officer, and Henry Yau, a former ICE supervisory deportation officer, both pleaded guilty to similar charges of accepting money in exchange for immigration-related favors.